METALS-London copper edges up on buoyant China property

Published 4:09 AM ET Mon, 19 June 2017
Reuters

SHARES

(Adds comment, detail, updates prices) MELBOURNE, June 19 (Reuters) - London copper climbed on Monday after China's property market remained robust in May, but analysts expected prices to stay trapped in a range over the quiet northern hemisphere summer. "Copper prices will face downward pressure over the coming months as Chinese fiscal spending winds down and limits demand growth," said BMI Research in a report. "We forecast prices to average $5,500/tonne in 2017 and increase to $5,800/tonne by 2021, driven by global market deficits."

FUNDAMENTALS

* LME COPPER: Three-month copper on the London Metal Exchange edged up 0.5 percent to $5,688.50 a tonne by 0737 GMT. LME copper is bouncing in a range between the 100- and 200-day moving averages, at $5,778 and $5,512 respectively.

* STOCKS: The June or third Wednesday contract will reach expiry this week, which often triggers an influx of stock registrations in LME warehouses as traders deliver against short positions.

* CHINA PROPERTY: Home prices leveled off in China's biggest cities in May but continued to climb nationwide, indicating demand remains resilient despite a series of government measures to keep the market from overheating.

* INVESTMENT: China's securities regulator said it will encourage wealth management firms to invest in commodity futures in a bid to promote its domestic derivatives industry and raise the amount of commodities in the nation's assets under management.

* FINANCING: China's central bank plans to step up support for "green" financing, including incentives to encourage banks to extend more loans for projects friendly to the environment, a deputy governor said on Friday.

* CFTC Speculators increased their net long position in copper futures and options, latest data from the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission showed.

* For the top stories in metals and other news, click or

* COMING UP: (GMT) U.S. Housing starts, Building permits for May at 1230 GMT